Wordle rules are very simple, meaning the game can be played by almost anyone, regardless of their past experience with word games.
Each day the player is tasked with working out a new five-letter word, in six attempts or less. After each guess the letters light up, letting the player know how accurate they were.
If a letter goes green it is both in the word and in the correct position. Yellow means the letter features, but not where you put it, whilst gray tells you it’s not included at all.
Speaking to Newsweek in January, Wardle explained how he settled on five-letter words for his puzzle.
He said: “There is a reason that every word is five letters long and that you are allowed six attempts to guess it. That might seem arbitrary but, with the prototype version, I tested different word lengths and experimented with the number of tries that players were allowed.
“Through that process of refinement, I figured out that five letters and six tries was the ideal sweet spot. It’s just limited enough to feel challenging and to make you think, but most of the time people still manage to solve it. So, you feel a real sense of real accomplishment.”
Also in January, Wardle sold Wordle to The New York Times, for an undisclosed seven figure fee.
Wordle’s popularity has helped inspire a number of other online puzzles, such as Nerdle for math fans and Worldle for geography enthusiasts.
The answer to today’s puzzle will be revealed at the end of this article, so scroll down with caution if you want to work it out for yourself. To help you solve today’s Wordle, Newsweek has provided some hints and tips on the latest puzzle.
‘Wordle’ #545 Tips and Clues for Friday, December 16
Wordle players can use these five hints to solve puzzle #545.
Hint #1: The word contains two vowels.
Hint #2: There are no repeated letters.
Hint #3: Synonyms for today’s answer include “examination” and “inquiry.”
Hint #4: Both the third and fifth letters are vowels.
Hint #5: You wouldn’t want one of these launched into your conduct at work.
‘Wordle’ #545 Answer for Friday, December 16
The answer to today’s Wordle is “probe.”
Well, that was a fun one! Not the toughest Wordle we’ve yet faced, as a relatively common word with two vowels, but still a good brainteaser.
Regardless of whether you got it or not we hope to see you again tomorrow, when Newsweek will provide more hints and tips for the latest New York Times puzzle.
What Does ‘Probe’ Mean?
The Cambridge University Dictionary defines “probe” as “to try to discover information that other people do not want you to know, by asking questions carefully and not directly.”
For example: “Detectives questioned him for hours, probing for any inconsistencies in his story.”
The next Wordle puzzle will be available at 7 p.m. ET, when the daily update occurs.
